Oprah and Wacky Cures?
June 7, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Newsweek magazine published a lengthy article about TV icon Oprah Winfrey and the many so-called experts who have appeared on her very influential television show over the past many years. You can read the article here: Live Your Best Life Ever!
Some people agreed very much with the article, others called it a hatchet job. Then, there’s people like me who feel that although Oprah tends to promote things that I think are hokey (and maybe dangerous if it keeps people from seeing conventional medical specialists), there are some things that may have their place.
In other words, I think that we can’t use a blanket statement that everything Oprah promotes is garbage nor can we say that everything Oprah says is the gospel truth. There must be a middle ground somewhere.
The Newsweek article begins with a show where actress Suzanne Somers was promoting her new “healthy” way of life. I put “healthy” in quotes because I can’t see myself ever agreeing to her regimen of 60+ vitamin pills per day, vaginal injections of hormones, rubbing hormone creams, going for vitamin C intravenous drips, and more, as being even close to healthy. As well, in that 
particular show, the more conventional medical experts who were invited to participate were seated in the audience and could only speak when called upon. Therefore, they couldn’t really discuss the matter, with Suzanne prattling on in the spotlight.
At the end of the show? Oprah proclaimed Suzanne’s book as a must-read for women everywhere. So, now her sales will go through the roof. Every book that Oprah recommends goes through the roof in sales. Heck, I’d love for her to recommend my greyhound book – think of what that could do for greyhound adoption?!
The scary thing about the whole Oprah phenomenon is that this isn’t the only example. There are others who are treated as experts because they have claims that may be fascinating, albeit unprovable.
The other thing that worries many in the medical community is that sometimes procedures that get the super green light from Oprah end up not working or, even, harmful. There never has been a show that backtracks on any of the harmful or ineffective treatments. Since they were promoted by Oprah and believed in by many of her followers, wouldn’t Oprah have some sort of obligation to come back to her audience and say, “hey, you know what? I made a mistake recommending this treatment.”
Photo: Amazon.com
But not everything Oprah does is wrong. She does have guests who offer advice that could be good for people. Learning how to relax, take time for yourself, getting yourself checked for various illnesses. Even some of her beliefs, such as positive energy, pushed by the book and movie The Secret, that may be laughed at, may have some merit to it. And, thinking positively, trying to work on the law of attraction, which is what The Secret is all about, isn’t harmful. And, for some, it even seems to work.
What concerns me is even after stories like the one that ran in Newsweek, she doesn’t come out and admit that she may be playing a very iffy role in a very serious issue. This quote from the article, Oprah defends her ‘experts’ accused of talking nonsense, is particularly telling:
On Thursday, amid mounting controversy, Winfrey issued a statement to the TV show Entertainment Tonight. It failed to address any of Newsweek’s individual concerns, but instead claimed her audience was educated enough to make their own decisions about healthcare. “For 23 years, my show has presented thousands of topics that reflect the human experience, including doctors’ medical advice and personal health stories that have prompted conversations between our audience members and healthcare providers,” it read. “I trust viewers, and know that they are smart and discerning enough to seek out medical opinions to determine what may be best for them.”
So, what’s the moral of the story? Health issues are really, in my opinion, something Oprah needs to stay away from unless she’s going to be more objective. After all, she started out her professional life as a journalist, so she does know how that works.
What do you think?
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Images: GriffenBauer, Amazon.com
What has happened to personal responsibility in this country? It seems that we no longer take responsibility for our own actions. Because it’s Oprah it does not mean that we should relegate our responsibility. Oprah is a TV Talk Show host that provides information to her viewers. We all have the ability to process information, interpret information and do with it what we wish. I believe that “By our choices, we choose our consequences” may they be right or wrong. But we have to stop making someone else responsible for our decisions that we make. And according to the Newsweek article, they speak as if Oprah’s audiences and followers are all lemmings.
The media has a negative way of spinning things, often pointing the finger and subjecting their agendas, hidden points of views and ill messages to the public. This article was just that and considered a low blow. They made very “few” references to her positive contributions as a TV Talk Show Host. In essence Oprah has done more positive good things to help people and he continues to give back to society in more ways than the writers of this article could ever give.
I don’t know of a single person around that jumps on a medical “cure” just because they’ve seen it on Oprah. She provides info, like any entertainment outlet. People need to make their own choices and do their own research before trying out any medical cure or taking part in advice.
I agree completely. Because Oprah has such a huge following and so many take her word as the gospel truth, it is imperative that she is very careful about any advice given on her show. She has a responsibility to her followers to not give out any incorrect medical advice. Leave that for the doctors.
Oprah may have a large following for whatever reason, but she is not a medical professional, and has no education or credentials as a medical professional. Anyone who gets their medical advice from Oprah is being foolish, and is asking for trouble. But as much as I would like Oprah to get away from the medical advice business, that is what boosts ratings and gets Ms. Winfrey more $$$. She is not about to abandon a successful formula at this late date, and suing her for giving bad advice will not be successful. (She has better lawyers than you do, no matter who you are)
It is sad that some people choose Oprah for medical advice, but no more sad than those people who go to Mexico for laetrile or use diet to “cure” a child’s behavior problems. In the end, one has to rely on personal responsibility when choosing medical care.
I understand that there has to be more personal responsibility. The problem is though, that many people don’t have the ability to weigh different options. They’re either limited in their education or don’t have access to expensive traditional care. So, they latch on to something else that may be less expensive and that makes sense to them.
Sadly, we have a culture where people will listen to celebrities simply because they like how they look, how they sing, or how they act. And while personal responsibility is a big issue, because we know that not everyone thinks in the same way nor has the same abilities, people of influence should realize this – in my opinion.
I receive a really great health newsletter from WomentoWomen.com (the clinic cofounded by Dr. Christiane Northrup. Here’s what lead practitioner Marelle Pick had to say — food for thought! “The thing that is most upsetting to me about the recent attempt to undermine Oprah’s approach,” says Pick, “is that it doesn’t present a balanced perspective on alternative therapies and the role they play in our wellness. There is a substantial body of scientific literature supporting alternative approaches, which is why more and more Americans are choosing to include an alternative perspective when considering their health. Much of what is considered as alternative in our country is part of the conventional standard of care in Europe and Asia, where alternative therapies have been helping people for centuries.”